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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690085">Devi's Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/malecnificenttyrus11/pseuds/malecnificenttyrus11'>malecnificenttyrus11</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Never Have I Ever (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>After, Bevi, Comedic Excellence, Confused!Devi, Devis Dream, Dream Ben, Dream Sequence, Flirtatious!Ben, Implied Feelings, Reworked Scene, Suggestive Themes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:20:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,732</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/malecnificenttyrus11/pseuds/malecnificenttyrus11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Paxton Hall-Yoshida agreed to have sex with her, Devi Vishwakumar felt on top of the world. She found herself constantly thinking about what it was going to be like. Devi expects to dream about Paxton...but what happens when an unexpected visitor in her dreams leaves her with feelings she had never expected. (Basically...it's where Ben comes to Devi in her dream instead of Paxton)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Gross &amp; Devi Vishwakumar, Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Devi sits in her bed, completely entranced by her copy of Anna Todd's "After". </p>
<p>She likes to think of Paxton as being Hardin Scott...the rebellious, mysterious, sexy bad boy, and herself as Tessa Young (except more outspoken and fiesty). </p>
<p>In all honesty, her interactions with Paxton up until this point had fit the narrative of the novel surprisingly well. I mean, Paxton Hall-Yoshida agreed to have sex with her.</p>
<p>She was going to have sex with Paxton.</p>
<p>A knock on her bedroom door makes Devi nearly jump out of her skin. She immediately tosses the book onto the floor, throwing her covers over her head and closing her eyes.</p>
<p>She could not let her mom catch her up late reading "After"; well...she couldn't let her mom catch her reading "After" at all, since her mom refused to buy her the book...nearly grounding her for life after looking up the plot.</p>
<p>So, she had to borrow the book from Eleanor, who purchased it for a "character study."</p>
<p>"Mom, I'm...uh, fast asleep!" Devi yells out, silently praying that her mom would believe her and not walk into the room.</p>
<p>She hears the door creak open, and contemplates the quickest way to off herself before her mom sees the discarded book on her floor and slaps her into next year.</p>
<p>The voice that responds to her, however, is not her mom's.</p>
<p>"You don't look like you're asleep..." The voice says in a breathy tone.</p>
<p>What the fuck? Was that...</p>
<p>She throws the covers off of her and sits up, eyes widening.</p>
<p>"Ben? What the hell are you doing in my house?" Devi yells out, standing up from the bed.</p>
<p>She looks down at her lack of clothing (an oversized t-shirt and short-shorts), immediately grabbing a blanket to wrap herself in.</p>
<p>Ben is silent, leaning against the doorframe with a smirk.</p>
<p>"Wait...a better question...what the hell are you doing in my bedroom?" She exclaims, throwing her hands in the air.</p>
<p>Ben pushes himself off the doorframe, strutting into the room.</p>
<p>His smirk grows wider, "I'm here to do exactly what I said I'd do...I'm here to have sex with you."</p>
<p>In one swift (and surprisingly smooth---Ben was anything but smooth, so this shocked Devi) motion, he pulled his shirt off with one hand.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. She can't stop her eyes from trailing down Ben's body.</p>
<p>Holy shit...Ben Gross was jacked. He had a six pack that put Bud Light to shame...</p>
<p>"Woah..." She sighs dreamily.</p>
<p>Wait a second...why the hell is she standing here in her room, ogling her arch-nemesis' body, when he literally broke into her house.</p>
<p>What the hell was going on?</p>
<p>"Ben..." she breathes out, trying her best to keep her voice leveled, "When the actual fuck did you ever say you would have sex with me? Because if that actually happened, I'm pretty sure I would've punched you in the adams apple."</p>
<p>Ben laughs, "Valid point. What I meant to say was..."</p>
<p>He backs up towards the door, putting on his most serious facial expression, "I'm here to do what Paxton said he would do...I'm here to have sex with you..." he reenacts.</p>
<p>Devi's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Uh...right. That's weird. Uh...how did you get into my house?"</p>
<p>Ben smirks, walking forward to stand closer to her. He grabs the blanket from her hands, pulling it away and tossing it on the floor.</p>
<p>"Nevermind the technicalities, David..." He says, eyes scanning up and down her body.</p>
<p>Devi feels herself shiver under Ben's intense gaze. Had his eyes always been so piercing and beautiful?</p>
<p>Wait...what the actual hell? Did she just refer to Ben Gross' eyes as beautiful?</p>
<p>"Wow..." Ben breathes out, his eyes lingering on her body, "Your body looks so good in that oversized t-shirt..."</p>
<p>Devi feels herself blush, looking down at the ground.</p>
<p>Ben walks forward, pulling the scrunchie out of her hair to let her hair fall freely over her shoulders. Devi's eyes widen, looking up to meet Ben's.</p>
<p>"And is that..." he starts, bringing the scrunchie up to his face and inhaling the scent, "Dandruff shampoo?" he finishes off.</p>
<p>Devi makes a slightly disturbed facial expression, "That is extremely pervy, Ben. And you still haven't told me how you got into my house..."</p>
<p>Ben ignores her, tossing the scrunchie onto the floor and sitting down on the edge of her bed. In another swift motion, he grabs Devi's legs, hoisting her onto his lap so that she is straddling him.</p>
<p>Seriously...when the hell did Ben get so smooth? And why was Devi not completely freaking out over this?</p>
<p>Devi settles down onto Ben's lap, her heart starting to race in her chest as she locks eyes with him.</p>
<p>She had never in a million years envisioned herself straddling Ben Gross...not unless she had planned on kicking his ass. But here she was...</p>
<p>Thoroughly confused, and slightly turned on...</p>
<p>"This is a dream...isn't it? I mean...there's no way you are capable of being this smooth in real life..." She asks, suddenly breathless. </p>
<p>She tries to keep her composure, just incase this was actually happening and Ben was pulling some twisted prank on her. She couldn't let him have the satisfaction of making her feel any type of way.</p>
<p>"If anyone's dreaming here...it's me." Ben confesses, smiling softly at her.</p>
<p>Devi feels her heart start racing again, suddenly aware of just how close she was with Ben (dream ben?). I mean...she was literally on his lap.</p>
<p>She laughs shyly, avoiding Ben's gaze.</p>
<p>Seriously...were his eyes always that blue? </p>
<p>"I mean...look at you..." He breathes out, resting a hand under her chin and bringing her eyes up to meet his, "You have the beauty of Priyanka Chopra...with the incisive intellect of Ruth Bader-Ginsburg..." he compliments.</p>
<p>Devi finds herself swooning at his words.</p>
<p>Ben suddenly flips them over, settling down on top of Devi. Devi's eyes widen...her stunned into silence.</p>
<p>He slowly leans in, and Devi finds herself mirroring his movements. Their lips are almost centimeters apart when...</p>
<p>"Devi! Wake up!"<br/>~<br/>Devi jerks awake in a sweat, eyes scanning around her bedroom.</p>
<p>No "After" book discarded on the floor...</p>
<p>No shirtless Ben in her bed...(slightly disappointing).</p>
<p>It really was a dream. Devi sighed a breath of relief.</p>
<p>It was a surprisingly good dream, if Devi was to be completely honest. </p>
<p>She found her mind wandering to the image of dream Ben's body...wondering whether or not he was actually that fit in real life.</p>
<p>Wait...why the hell was she thinking about Ben's body. She hated him...despised him. He was her life-long nemesis. She couldn't think of him in this way.</p>
<p>Well, he was conventionally attractive...she had just looked at him for the longest time through a very narrow lens.</p>
<p>Devi is suddenly aware that she just had a dream about Ben Gross, her arch-nemesis wanting to have sex with her, complimenting her, and making surprisingly smooth moves on her...</p>
<p>And she wasn't in the slightest bit repulsed.</p>
<p>Devi groans in frustration, turning onto her other side and closing her eyes.</p>
<p>Part of her silently hoped that she would not have another dream about Ben...but the other half of her prayed to the Gods that her dream would pick up where it left off.<br/>~<br/>Devi walks into class the next day, dark circles under her eyes from her lack of sleep. </p>
<p>After her very realistic (and scarily eye-opening) dream about Ben...she found herself unable to fall back to sleep. She laid up the remainder of the night...mind spinning with so many confusing thoughts, all of which were about her dream, and what it meant.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes linger on Ben as she walks to her desk. Ben gives her a suspicious look, and she immediately averts her gaze, walking quicker to her seat and sitting down.</p>
<p>She hears Ben turn around in his seat, and braces herself for the inevitable joke about her checking him out.</p>
<p>Which she totally wasn't doing...totally not.</p>
<p>"You look like shit today, David." Ben says, and Devi rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>She looks over to meet his eyes, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickens under his gaze.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Ben. I know." She snaps with no rage behind it.</p>
<p>Ben must pick up on her mood, because his smug smile turns into a frown.</p>
<p>"What's going on?" He asks, his voice sounding...concerned?</p>
<p>Devi raises an eyebrow, "You're asking me if something is wrong? Get out of my head, Gross...that's what's wrong." she snaps.</p>
<p>Shit...did she really just say that?</p>
<p>Ben smirks, "Ah, David. I always knew that you were obsessed with me."</p>
<p>Devi is thankful for Ben's changing the seriousness of the situation. It felt a little too intense for her to handle.</p>
<p>She finds herself smiling, "Shut up, Gross. If anything...you're obsessed with me." she jabs.</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes, "In your dreams, maybe..."</p>
<p>Literally...it was like he was reading her mind. </p>
<p>"Well...technically if you have a dream about someone, it's said that you actually exist in that person's subconscious thoughts." Devi says matter-of-factly.</p>
<p>Ben gives her a confused look, "What?"</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen...why the hell did she just say that?</p>
<p>A smirk finds its way onto Ben's face, "So I HAVE been inside your head then, David..." he teases.</p>
<p>She knew that Ben's teasing was inevitable. He would never let her hear the end of this and...</p>
<p>Wait...did Ben just also admit that he thought about her? Why did that thought make Devi's stomach flutter?</p>
<p>Paxton walks into the classroom at that moment, and Devi is grateful for the distraction.</p>
<p>He sits down in the seat in front of her, turning around to grin at her, "Sup, Vishwakumar?"</p>
<p>Devi smiles at him, letting out a sigh of relief when she sees Ben turn around in his seat. </p>
<p>The bell rings, signaling the start of class. Instead of staring at Paxton, Devi finds her gaze fixated on Ben.</p>
<p>He really was fit.</p>
<p>Something was definitely going on with Devi, and she wasn't exactly sure what. All she knew was that her feelings on the Paxton-sex-pact had changed, and so did her feelings about Ben.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Nightmares and Realizations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Devi finds herself yet again having a dream about Ben. This one, however, ends up digging up deep-rooted insecurities that stemmed from real interactions with Ben. What happens when this dream forces Devi to accept the reality of two different facts...</p>
<p>1. She had feelings for her arch-nemesis, Ben Gross</p>
<p>2. Ben Gross didn't feel the same way</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later that night Devi lays across her bed, unfinished homework scattered around her. She struggles to focus...a tension headache settling right in between her eyes.</p>
<p>She couldn't stop replaying her conversation with Ben earlier in the day. </p>
<p>That was the first conversation they'd had where Ben had actually, momentarily, sounded genuine. He actually seemed concerned when she didn't react to his antics the way she normally would. </p>
<p>It was like he could read her like an open book in all capital letters...like he could read her mind. And it scared the hell out of her...</p>
<p>Devi sighs, trying to work through another AP calculus equation. She feels her eyes growing heavy, and tries to fight off the sleep trying to consume her. She eventually gives into the feeling, drifting off...<br/>~<br/>Devi is woken up by the feeling of arms snaking around her waist, a warm body pressing against her back. </p>
<p>Her eyes snap open in a panic, and she slowly turns around to see...</p>
<p>Ben? </p>
<p>Oh shit...not this again.</p>
<p>"Ben? How the hell did you get in here...and why are you in my bed?" Devi asks, trying to ignore the way her heart races at the feeling of his arms around her.</p>
<p>Ben smirks at her, "Devi...I never left. I'm in your head..."</p>
<p>Devi sighs, "I'm dreaming again...aren't I?"</p>
<p>"Shhh..." Ben breathes out, running his thumb along her bottom lip, "Let's not talk."</p>
<p>Devi finds herself stunned into silence.</p>
<p>Ben shifts so that he's hovering over Devi, "What do you say we...pick up where we left off?"</p>
<p>Screw it, Devi thinks...wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him forward to connect their lips together.</p>
<p>Holy shit...she was kissing Ben Gross. Well...the dream version of him? She wasn't exactly sure, but it didn't even matter in this moment.</p>
<p>Ben settles in between Devi's legs, and Devi finds herself letting out a small moan at the contact.</p>
<p>Holy. Fucking. Shit. If this was a dream...she never wanted to wake up.</p>
<p>Ben pulls apart from the kiss, leaning up and pulling his shirt over his head, discarding it on the floor.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen. Suddenly feeling emboldened, she reaches forward to run her hand along his torso.</p>
<p>He leans down again, pulling her into another kiss. Devi finds her hands sliding down to blindly fumble for the button of his jeans.</p>
<p>This is a dream, Devi...what the hell are you doing? </p>
<p>She finally finds button and goes to undo it, quickly stopped by Ben's hands wrapping around hers.</p>
<p>He pulls away from the kiss, laughing.</p>
<p>Okay...so apparently even dream Ben knew how to kill a mood.</p>
<p>Devi's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "Uh...what's so funny?" she asks breathlessly.</p>
<p>He smirks, climbing off of her and sitting back on the bed.</p>
<p>He laughs again, "You really thought I was going to have sex with you?"</p>
<p>Her eyes widen, and she feels her heart sink.</p>
<p>"I-uh...I just thought..." Devi rambles out.</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes, standing up from the bed and grabbing his shirt off the ground, "Oh, silly David...you're a UN, remember? Guys don't want to sleep with you..."</p>
<p>Devi clenches her jaw, balling her fists at her sides as she fights back tears.</p>
<p>Ben's words echo around her, growing louder and more intense.</p>
<p>You really thought I was going to have sex with you? </p>
<p>Silly David...you're a UN.</p>
<p>UN...UN...UN.<br/>~<br/>Devi jolts awake, her papers flying all over the floor. She breathes heavily, pushing herself up to the head of her bed, hugging her legs to her chest. </p>
<p>Of course...another dream. This one was different from the last one, though. This one felt so...intense. So...</p>
<p>Real.</p>
<p>Why were Ben's words still echoing in her mind? And why did hearing him say those words hurt so much? I mean...it was just a dream.</p>
<p>Except...it wasn't. Ben had been referring to her, Eleanor and Fabiola as the UN for years. At every opportunity he got, he'd tease her for being a virgin.</p>
<p>And it always stung whenever he said it.</p>
<p>For the longest time, Devi found herself wondering why Ben Gross' words hurt her so much...carried so much weight on her opinion of herself. </p>
<p>Devi frowns...the pieces of this years-long mystery finally coming together in her mind. </p>
<p>She had feelings for Ben, her life-long arch-nemesis. She wasn't sure of the extent of her feelings for him...but she knew they were there.</p>
<p>And then...reality started to set in. Ben did not have feelings for her.</p>
<p>Why did Devi even think for a second that he could...</p>
<p>He very often pointed out how completely un-attracted he, and apparently everyone else was to Devi. And he also had a gorgeous girlfriend, who he also liked to throw in Devi's face.</p>
<p>Shira. How could she forget about Shira? </p>
<p>Devi sighs, reaching over to grab her phone from her bedside table. She pulls up her groupchat with Eleanor and Fabiola, composing a text.</p>
<p>Devi: Hey guys...I need to talk to you tomorrow. It's urgent.<br/>~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Ben's Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ben Gross thought he was absolutely certain of everything in his life, or atleast...he tried to convince himself that he was. On this particular day, though, Ben found himself certain about one thing...Devi was acting weird. Following an unsual interaction between the two of them, Ben finds himself unable to get Devi out of his head. What happens when a dream forces him to own up to his repressed feelings.</p>
<p>(Basically...it's Ben's turn to have a dream about Devi)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben Gross liked to think that he was certain of absolutely everything in his life...atleast, he tried to convince himself that he was. Today, however, he was only certain of one thing...Devi was acting weird.</p>
<p>From the second Devi walked into the classroom earlier that day...Ben could instantly tell something was up.</p>
<p>Normally, she would walk into the classroom, send him a death glare (that, if looks could kill, would definitely kill him), and proceed to make a snide remark about either his outfits (which, admittedly, were questionable), or his 'lack of braincells.' </p>
<p>Instead...Devi walked into the classroom with an expression he could not quite disseminate, silently walking to her desk and sitting down.</p>
<p>When she didn't acknowledge him...he grew increasingly more suspicious. </p>
<p>Besides that...she looked like shit. Not in an ugly, unattractive way (because, although Ben wouldn't admit it to anyone...he did think she was objectively attractive), but instead in a 'not-like-devi' way (her usual 'fire-cracker' spark missing).</p>
<p>He wouldn't admit it to anyone... but this made him worried. </p>
<p>They'd known eachother almost their entire lives, so it would be a lie for Ben to say he didn't care about her at all (in an arch-nemesis type of way, of course). </p>
<p>Ben decided that he would try and be sympathetic...but of course, it came out in his usual smartass, condescending tone. When Devi snapped back with no aggression, he grew even more concerned.</p>
<p>The conversation after that point took an unexpected turn.</p>
<p>Ben wasn't sure whether or not he was imagining things...but he was almost certain that Devi admitted to dreaming about him.</p>
<p>She seemed to get very shy, and almost...defensive, when Ben teased her about being in her head. Her demeanor struck Ben as odd.</p>
<p>Before he could inquire further, Paxton Hall-Yoshida walked into the classroom...instantly grabbing Devi's attention.</p>
<p>Did Paxton actually acknowledge Devi by her name...and with a smirk? </p>
<p>Ben turned around in his seat, clenching his jaw. He didn't know why the small gesture bothered him so much, but it did.</p>
<p>Class began, and Ben tried his hardest to focus on the lesson. However, despite his best efforts, his mind kept replaying his conversation with Devi.</p>
<p>Did she really think about him? The thought made his pulse quicken.<br/>~<br/>Later that night, Ben is woken up from his sleep by a firm knock on his bedroom door.</p>
<p>He sits up, eyes widening.</p>
<p>His parents were on another business excursion (no surprise there), and Patty had the night off...which meant he was home alone.</p>
<p>Who the hell was knocking on his door? Was it an intruder? </p>
<p>If that was the case...Ben was screwed. There was no chance in hell he would be able to fight off an intruder.</p>
<p>He glances around his room in search of an object he can use to defend himself. His eyes settle on his tennis racket, and he reaches out to grab it.</p>
<p>Better than nothing, he thinks to himself.</p>
<p>He pulls his comforter closer to him, hands gripping the tennis racket tightly.</p>
<p>"Who's there! If you need money, I can promise I don't have any..." He yells out, mentally slapping himself (dude...you literally live in a mansion).</p>
<p>"Okay...that may have sounded a bit shady since I literally live in a mansion, but I seriously don't have money!" He adds, voice shaking slightly.</p>
<p>Yeah...you are definitely going to die, Ben.</p>
<p>Ben hears the door slowly creak open, and he closes his eyes, bracing for the inevitable fury about to be unleashed on him.</p>
<p>He silently prays that the intruder will go easy on him, since they were polite enough to knock instead of just storming into his room.</p>
<p>Who the hell was he kidding...an intruder never goes easy on anyone. Especially not rich white guys who live in a mansion and claim to have no money.</p>
<p>"A tennis racket...really, Ben?" A familiar voice says.</p>
<p>What the fuck...was that...</p>
<p>He slowly opens his eyes, them widening when he sees Devi standing in his doorway, an amused look on her face.</p>
<p>"David?" He breathes out, standing up slowly from his bed.</p>
<p>She raises an eyebrow, laughing softly, "Were you planning on beating me with that?" she asks, gesturing to the tennis racket in his hand.</p>
<p>He feels his face turn red with embarrassment, "Uh...no. Well...yeah. Only if you were an intruder, which you technically are. But, yeah...no." He rambles out, dropping the tennis racket to the ground.</p>
<p>That was not his brightest moment. Devi would never let him live this down for as long as he lives.</p>
<p>Wait...he still doesn't know what Devi is doing in his house, or how she even got in.</p>
<p>"David...how the hell did you get into my house?" He asks.</p>
<p>She smirks, leaning against the doorframe and crossing her arms.</p>
<p>He raises an eyebrow, "Better yet...why are you in my bedroom."</p>
<p>She pushes herself away from the doorframe, walking into the room and closing the door behind her.</p>
<p>Holy shit...Devi was here to murder him. He should've expected this eventually, with what a dick he was to her.</p>
<p>He was starting to wish this was an intruder instead of his life-long nemesis. Atleast then, he wouldn't have died at the hands of a personal vendetta.</p>
<p>She turns around to face him, her smirk growing wider, "I'm here to do something I've wanted to do for a long time..."</p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<p>"I'm here to have sex with you..." She breathes out, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pulling it over her head, discarding it on the floor.</p>
<p>Wait...what?</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, his gaze trailing over her very exposed body. He couldn't deny how nice her body was.</p>
<p>He felt slightly relieved that she wasn't here to hurt him, but found himself even more panicked at the reality of this situation.</p>
<p>"Woah..." he whispers, eyes still fixated on Devi.</p>
<p>Was this a fever dream...or did Devi Vishwakumar just break into his house, take off her shirt and say she was here to have sex with him? </p>
<p>Ben is frozen in his spot, and Devi slowly struts towards him, "Wow, Ben...I've always thought your body was nice but, damn...you're jacked." she flirts, eyes roaming over his body.</p>
<p>Ben feels his heart start racing in his chest.</p>
<p>"And you look...SO good in that fitted t-shirt." She adds.</p>
<p>She puts a hand on Ben's chest, backing him up until his legs hit the edge of his bed, him sitting down. In one swift motion, Devi swings her leg over him, straddling his lap.</p>
<p>So...Devi Vishwakumar, his life-long nemesis, was now in his lap, and he was actually enjoying it. What the hell was going on?</p>
<p>His eyes meet Devi's, and he feels himself shiver under her intense gaze. Had her eyes always been this beautiful? </p>
<p>Honestly, there were a lot of scenarios that Ben envisioned himself and Devi in. This, however, was not one of them. Unless Devi had been planning on kicking his ass, he would have never imagined her straddling him.</p>
<p>"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Ben says breathlessly.</p>
<p>Devi smiles fondly at him, "If anyone's dreaming here, it's me..."</p>
<p>Ben smiles, looking down at his lap. Devi rests a finger under his chin, tilting his head up to meet her eyes.</p>
<p>"I mean...just look at you," she breathes out, hands cradling either side of his face, "You have the looks AND sex-appeal of Nick Jonas, with the incisive intellect of William James Sidis." She compliments.</p>
<p>Did she just compare him to her life-long crush and obsession, Nick Jonas? It was no secret to Ben that she'd been in love with Nick Jonas for the longest time.</p>
<p>She was devastated when he married Priyanka Chopra. She spent an entire class period crying about it to Eleanor and Fabiola. He kinda felt bad for her, if he was honest.</p>
<p>Wait...did she just call him sexy AND smart? Ben feels himself get dizzy at her words.</p>
<p>"I've always wanted you, Ben." She confesses.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, and he shifts so that Devi is laying down on the bed, him hovering over her. </p>
<p>"Devi...I-" He starts, but she cuts him off.</p>
<p>"Shut up and kiss me...I need this, I need you." She pleads, pulling him down to press their lips together.</p>
<p>Ben settles down in between her legs, letting out a small moan at the contact.</p>
<p>Holy fucking shit...was this actually happening? </p>
<p>Devi deepens the kiss, rolling them over so that she's on top of Ben. A few seconds later she breaks away from the kiss.</p>
<p>Ben opens his eyes, frowning when he sees a tear roll down Devi's cheek. He instinctively reaches out to brush the tear away with the pad of his thumb, but Devi flinches away.</p>
<p>Ben feels his heart sink. Did he do something wrong?</p>
<p>She slides off of Ben, sitting up on the edge of the bed. Ben leans on his side to look at her, "Devi, hey...what's wrong?"</p>
<p>She sniffles, turning to look at him, "You don't want me. Who would...I'm just an unfuckable nerd, right?"</p>
<p>Ben frowns, feeling like he was just punched in the gut. </p>
<p>Devi suddenly vanishes into thin air, and Ben panics, "Devi?" he calls out, eyes scanning the room for her.</p>
<p>"Devi!" He yells again.</p>
<p>Her words start echoing in his head, growing louder and louder.<br/>~<br/>"Devi!" Ben yells out as he jolts awake, breathing heavily and in a sweat. He glances around his room, met with complete darkness.</p>
<p>Devi isn't here...she wasn't here. It was all just a dream.</p>
<p>Ben falls back onto his pillow, struggling to catch his breath. He feels a pit form in his stomach as his dream replays over and over in his mind.</p>
<p>"You don't want me...who would? I'm just an unfuckable nerd, right?"</p>
<p>He feels the guilt consume him as his own vile words loop in his mind.</p>
<p>Up until this point, Ben had tried his hardest to convince himself that he hated Devi Vishwakumar, despised her...but in all honesty, he knew that was the farthest thing from the truth.</p>
<p>He had just had a dream about his life-long rival and nemesis showing up in his bedroom, saying she wanted to have sex with him and flirting with him...</p>
<p>And it hadn't repulsed him in the slightest. (In all honesty, the thought of Devi had never repulsed him).</p>
<p>This dream had only confirmed what Ben knew all along, but pushed down into the deepest part of his mind.</p>
<p>He had feelings for Devi...he liked her, a lot.</p>
<p>And he had fucked up any chance with her big time.<br/>~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Devi Confesses</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Devi finally sits down with her two bestfriends to fill them in on everything going on in her life...both with Paxton (who she no longer was concerned with banging), and Ben (her arch-nemesis that she had major feelings, both sexual and emotional, for). How will she react when her bestfriends reveal that they've seen this all along, and that they believe Ben likes her back? Will Ben be able to convince Devi he cares...or will Devi do what she does best...push him away?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Devi!" Eleanor calls out as her and Fabiola walk over to their usual lunch table, sitting down across from her.</p>
<p>Her voice snaps Devi out of her trance, and she looks up to meet their concerned looks.</p>
<p>"Hey, you guys..." She greets them, forcing a smile.</p>
<p>"So...you texted us last night and said you needed to talk to us urgently, which means there's an emergency." Fabiola says, and Devi nods.</p>
<p>"Are we talking a fashion-level emergency or a Nick-Jonas-marries-Priyanka-Chopra-level emergency?" Eleanor asks, and Devi raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Devi sighs, "The second one...I guess."</p>
<p>Eleanor's eyes widen, "Oh. My. God...are you and Paxton H-Y experiencing angst?!" </p>
<p>"Experiencing what? Nevermind...this isn't really about Paxton." She explains.</p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola glance at eachother, turning to look back at Devi.</p>
<p>"Wait...so you are having angst with someone else then? Who!" Eleanor asks, and Devi rolls her eyes.</p>
<p>"El...could you please take this seriously." She pleads, and Eleanor sends her an apologetic smile, nodding.</p>
<p>"So...what's going on, Devi?" Fabiola asks.</p>
<p>Devi sighs, "There's something I have to tell you guys..." </p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola nod, gesturing for her to continue.</p>
<p>"The first thing is...Paxton never approached me about getting to know me better. I approached him..." She explains.</p>
<p>Fabiola raises an eyebrow, "Oh? Well...that's not a bad thing."</p>
<p>"It gets worse, trust me..." Devi adds, pausing to collect her thoughts, "I sort of...cornered him after one of his swim meets and...propositioned him into having sex with me..." she confesses.</p>
<p>"WHAT!" Eleanor and Fabiola yell out in unison, their yell echoing through the cafeteria.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen in panic, looking around the cafeteria to make sure nobody was paying any attention to them. She let out a sigh of relief when she found nobody looking at them.</p>
<p>She leans forward on the table, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Guys...please be quiet! I don't want anyone hearing about this, or else I'll have to off myself."</p>
<p>"Sorry...so wait, you propositioned Paxton Hall-Yoshida to have sex with you?" Fabiola asks for clarity.</p>
<p>Devi turns red with embarrassment, but nods.</p>
<p>"Woah, so wait...has it happened yet! Spill the details. Is he as big as he looks in those sweatpants...it's like he's carrying a pepper grinder in there..." Eleanor exclaims excitedly, clapping her hands together.</p>
<p>Devi shoots her a glare, "El...first of all, that's a weird analogy. Second of all...no, it didn't happen yet. And..."</p>
<p>Devi pauses, looking down at the table, "I'm not sure that I want it to happen, anymore..."</p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola raise their eyebrows.</p>
<p>"What? Devi...you've been interested in Paxton for the longest time now. Why wouldn't you be into it anymore?" Fabiola asks. </p>
<p>Devi hesitates for a second, the words caught in her throat, "I...think I like someone else..."</p>
<p>Both girls gasp, leaning forward on the table.</p>
<p>"Oh. My. God! A love triangle...cinematic excellence!" Eleanor exclaims, and Fabiola hits her in the arm.</p>
<p>She hisses in pain, shooting Fabiola a glare.</p>
<p>Fabiola makes a face at her, turning to look at Devi, "Who is it?" </p>
<p>Devi fidgets with her fingers nervously, a pit forming in her stomach. </p>
<p>At first, she wasn't planning on telling her bestfriends about her feelings for Ben, knowing that they both weren't too fond of him. But Devi needed to get this off her chest, and she trusted that her bestfriends, even if initially shocked and judgemental, would support her.</p>
<p>"It's actually, uh..." Devi laughs nervously, "Ben." she whispers.</p>
<p>When she is met with silence...she looks up slowly to see Eleanor and Fabiola giving her knowing looks. She raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Did you guys hear me? I said I might like Ben...as in my arch-nemesis Ben. Why aren't you shocked, or looking at me like I'm completely insane!" Devi says, throwing her hands in the air.</p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola glance at eachother, turning back to look at Devi.</p>
<p>"Devi...we aren't shocked because it's so obvious..." Fabiola explains.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen, "What's obvious?"</p>
<p>Eleanor smiles, "The way you both feel about eachother, silly. It's so obvious that you guys like eachother."</p>
<p>Fabiola nods, "It's like...painfully obvious. To everyone except you, apparently."</p>
<p>"The two of you are like...the epitome of the enemies-to-lovers trope! So much underlying sexual tension whenever you argue..." Eleanor points out.</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes, "El...please stop with your strange theater-terminology mumbo jumbo. It's not helping the situation."</p>
<p>Fabiola sighs, "So...how did you figure out that you had feelings for Ben?"</p>
<p>Devi laughs awkwardly, "Uh...it's funny but...I may or may not have had a dream, or two, where Ben expressed interest in, uh...getting to know me better."</p>
<p>Eleanor's eyes widen, "Oh. My. God...you had a dream about you and Ben having SEX?! Tell us everything...how was it?"</p>
<p>"It never happened. Because even in dreams, reality somehow manages to kill the mood." Devi explains with a frown.</p>
<p>"What?" Fabiola asks.</p>
<p>Devi shrugs, playing with the hem of her sweatshirt, "The second dream reminded me of one painful fact...Ben doesn't have feelings for me..."</p>
<p>"Devi...you're joking, right?" Eleanor asks in a serious tone. </p>
<p>She shakes her head, "No...because it's true. Ben is completely repulsed by me, and besides that...have you forgotten that he has a girlfriend?" </p>
<p>Fabiola raises an eyebrow, "Devi...seriously?" she asks incredulously.</p>
<p>Devi gives her a confused look.</p>
<p>"You really don't see the way that boy looks at you?" Eleanor questions.</p>
<p>Devi shrugs, "If you mean the way he smiles at me with that snarky, judgemental smirk...then yes, I do." </p>
<p>Fabiola rolls her eyes, "That's not what Eleanor means. She means the way he looks at you when YOU aren't looking..."</p>
<p>Eleanor nods, "He has this look in his eyes when you aren't looking...it's like you hang all the stars in the sky."</p>
<p>"It's almost this look of longing..." Fabiola adds.</p>
<p>Devi tilts her head, "Are you guys on drugs? Because if so...I'm extremely offended that you didn't share them with me."</p>
<p>Eleanor rolls her eyes, "Devi...you can make jokes all you want. But we're being serious. He looks at you with the same longing look that Jack looks at Rose with in the Titanic..."</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes at yet another one of Eleanor's theatrical references. </p>
<p>She thinks about what her bestfriends are saying, processing their words in her mind.</p>
<p>What if they were right? What if Ben actually did like her back? </p>
<p>The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying.</p>
<p>Devi zones out of their conversation, eyes scanning the cafeteria for any sign of her ex-nemesis-now-crush. She finally spots him, his gaze already lingering on her.</p>
<p>She feels her heart race in her chest as they lock eyes.</p>
<p>Shira walks over at that moment, sitting down beside Ben and pulling him into a kiss. Devi feels her heart sink. </p>
<p>She averts her gaze and clenches her jaw, quickly collecting her books and jumping up from the table.</p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola give her a concerned look, "Devi, hey...where are you going?"</p>
<p>Devi frowns, "Anywhere but here." </p>
<p>She storms off in the direction of the cafeteria doors, slamming them open and walking out. Eleanor and Fabiola watch as she disappears into the hallway, frowning.</p>
<p>Little does Devi know...Ben is watching her, too.</p>
<p>His face falls, and he finds himself fighting the overwhelming urge to chase after her. Shira talks to him about her latest instagram post, but Ben tunes out her words. </p>
<p>Why had Devi ran out of the cafeteria after Shira had kissed him? Wait...was she upset because of that? </p>
<p>Did Ben have some small fraction of hope that Devi felt the same way about him? </p>
<p>Eleanor and Fabiola glance back at him from their table across the cafeteria, shooting him a sympathetic look, before grabbing their things and following Devi out of the cafeteria.</p>
<p>What did he do to hurt Devi? (Well...in the back of his mind he could muster up a rather extensive list of things he did to hurt her, none of which were intentional)</p>
<p>The better question was how could he fix it?</p>
<p>~<br/>The rest of the school day is a blur for Ben. He finds himself unable to focus in any of his classes...mind drifting back to thoughts of Devi...</p>
<p>To what happened earlier in the cafeteria.</p>
<p>To the dream he had, and the feelings that it evoked from within him. </p>
<p>He knew that he needed to talk to Devi...to tell her everything that he was feeling. He owed her that, atleast.</p>
<p>After his last class, Ben makes his way to his locker. He's hoping that Devi will be at hers when he gets there, so that he can talk to her...</p>
<p>Or atleast attempt to. When Devi is upset or emotionally-unstable, Ben knows that she tends to be quite unpredictable.</p>
<p>It's a tough situation to navigate, but Ben knows that he can figure it out. He isn't sure what he's going to say, or even if Devi will listen. All he knows is that he needs to try.</p>
<p>He rounds the corner of the hallway where his locker is, a mixture of panic and relief setting in when he sees Devi standing at her locker. He gathers his composure, walking to his locker.</p>
<p>He enters his combination, opening up his locker, "Hey, David." he greets her calmly, exhanging his books.</p>
<p>When he is met with silence, he glances over at her. She's looking at him with an unreadable facial expression...best described as a mix between tired and sad.</p>
<p>There's probably a hint of anger in there, too.</p>
<p>He feels his heart sink. He's never seen her look so defeated. It only amplifies the guilt that he already feels for a variety of reasons.</p>
<p>He hates knowing that he's the reason why she's upset.</p>
<p>"Why are you talking to me, Ben?" Devi breathes out, voice quiet.</p>
<p>Ben frowns, "I just wanted to see if you were okay...you look sad."</p>
<p>Devi narrows her eyes, "You...wanted to ask if I was okay?"</p>
<p>Ben nods slowly, watching as her face shifts from sad to annoyed.</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes, "Just leave me alone, Ben."</p>
<p>Ben raises an eyebrow, "Why?"</p>
<p>Ah shit. He should've expected this to happen.</p>
<p>"Because there's no reason for you to stand there and pretend like you care about me." She snaps weakly, turning back to look at her locker. </p>
<p>Ben sighs, "I'm not pretending, Devi."</p>
<p>"Sure you aren't, Ben. That's easy to believe considering you've always been so GENUINE and SINCERE," her voice drips with sarcasm, "Just please...stop talking to me." Devi pleads.</p>
<p>"Fine." Ben resolves, organizing his textbooks as silence falls between them.</p>
<p>He speaks up again, "Devi...there was actually something that I wanted to talk to you ab-." he starts.</p>
<p>Devi cuts him off, "Ben...didn't I just ask you to stop talking to me?" </p>
<p>Ben shrugs, "Well yeah but..."</p>
<p>"Then please..." She breathes out, voice growing increasingly more frustrated.</p>
<p>"Okay, fine. Sorry..." He apologizes, turning to look back at his locker. </p>
<p>A few seconds go by and Ben finds himself breaking the silence again (stupid mistake, Ben), "Okay, but please...if we could just talk somewhere." he begs.</p>
<p>Devi clenches her jaw, "Ben...what is there to talk about? I have nothing to say to you."</p>
<p>"Devi, I-" He starts but Devi slams her locker shut, making Ben jump.</p>
<p>"Please stop...Ben. Please stop being nice to me, please stop pretending that you care about me or how I feel. Just...stop." She cries out, throwing her backpack over her shoulder and storming off towards the school exit.</p>
<p>Ben watches as she disappears through the doors, his face falling.</p>
<p>Well...that went about as well as he'd expected. </p>
<p>He still wasn't completely sure what he did to Devi to make her SO angry at him...but he knew that he needed to find out quickly.</p>
<p>Luckily, he would have the weekend to figure out the best course of action.<br/>~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Reality Sets In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>If you were to ask Ben how he had ended up on Devi Vishwakumar's front porch on a Saturday Night, fully prepared to ambush her with a confession of his feelings, he would probably tell you that he hadn't thought this through. How will Devi handle Ben's unexpected visit...and will he be able to convince her that his feelings are sincere?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben spent the entire next day, following his confrontation with Devi, thinking of the best possible approach to fixing the situation between them.</p>
<p>For some reason, Ben felt that the best way to fix it was to ambush Devi when she least expected it, so this way she'd have no choice but to hear him out.</p>
<p>That's how he ended up here, standing outside of Devi Vishwakumar's house, late on a Saturday night.</p>
<p>He knew, logically, that this was probably the worst way to approach the situation. Devi was not a fan of surprises, and if you paired that with the fact that she was unpredictable when emotional...</p>
<p>Ben was asking for a death wish.</p>
<p>He considered turning around and walking back to his car (which probably would have been better for his safety), but realized that this would probably be the best chance he had of talking to Devi.</p>
<p>So, he pushed aside his doubts, raising his hand and knocking on the door.</p>
<p>A few seconds went by before he heard shuffling behind the door, the sound of a lock unlatching, and then the door opened.</p>
<p>Shit...Ben didn't think about what would happen if Devi's mom answered the door. He hadn't thought this far into the plan.</p>
<p>Let's face it...he didn't think much into the plan at all. If he did, he would've known that this was absolutely not the best idea.</p>
<p>Devi's mom smiles warmly at him, "Benjamin! It's so nice to see you." she greets him.</p>
<p>Ben grins at her, "It's nice to see you as well, Dr. Vishwakumar."</p>
<p>"I have to say...I'm surprised to see you standing on my front porch, with how often Devi rants and raves about you." She says.</p>
<p>Ben laughs, "She's kind of obsessed with me." he jokes.</p>
<p>Honestly, hearing that Devi talked about him so often left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest. Nobody in his life cared about him that much.</p>
<p>"So...to what do I owe the pleasure?" She asks.</p>
<p>Ben thinks quickly, "I'm here to see Devi, actually. We're, uh...working together on a class project and I wanted to work out some of the details with her." he lies.</p>
<p>Good thinking, Ben.</p>
<p>Nalini smiles, opening the door further and gesturing for him to come in, "Well, that's great! Come on in." </p>
<p>Holy shit...he can't believe that actually worked. </p>
<p>Ben walks into the house, following Nalini into the main foyer.</p>
<p>"You know, Benjamin...I have to thank you. You keep my Devi on her toes." She informs him, and Ben smiles.</p>
<p>"She keeps me on my toes too, Dr. Vishwakumar." He says.</p>
<p>She has no idea.</p>
<p>Nalini turns to look at him, folding her hands in front of her, "I think it's great that you both set aside that rivalry of yours to work together. She's just upstairs in her room, you go ahead up..."</p>
<p>Ben nods, "Thank you."</p>
<p>Ben slowly makes his way up the stairs, feeling his nerves grow stronger and stronger the closer he gets to Devi's bedroom. </p>
<p>He finally reaches her room (as per Nalini's directions), stopping in front of the door. He takes a deep breath, reaching forward and knocking softly.<br/>~<br/>Devi lays on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind keeps drifting to her conversation, well...confrontation, with Ben the previous day.</p>
<p>She knows that her outburst wasn't really fair to Ben. He was just trying to be nice to her, and Devi ended up doing what she did best in any emotional situation...</p>
<p>Flew off the handle.</p>
<p>She had just gotten so upset seeing Ben with Shira, that she let her jealousy get the best of her. She knew deep down that their relationship was anything but perfect...anyone could see it.</p>
<p>But Devi couldn't think logically or clearly in situations where she was emotionally vulnerable.</p>
<p>And beyond that, Ben affected her in a way that nobody else did. His words had a profound impact on her and how she viewed herself.</p>
<p>The hold he had on her scared the hell out of her.</p>
<p>Devi snaps back into reality at the sound of her mom's voice, "Devi! There's someone here to see you!" </p>
<p>Devi's eyebrows knit together in confusion...who would be here to see her? Fabiola and Eleanor didn't say they planned on coming over, and there was no way it would be Paxton (which she's kind of thankful for).</p>
<p>A few seconds later, a knock sounds on Devi's door.</p>
<p>"Come in!" She yells, figuring that it's probably just Eleanor and Fabiola stopping by to check on her. </p>
<p>She hated surprises, but she honestly could use some support from her bestfriends right now...given the current situation.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes remain fixated on the ceiling of her room as she hears her door creak open.</p>
<p>"Devi?" A voice calls out softly, and Devi's eyes widen.</p>
<p>Okay...so unless Eleanor or Fabiola's voices had dropped several octaves in one day, there was no way that was them.</p>
<p>Was that...</p>
<p>Devi quickly sits up, frowning when she sees the familiar figure that had taken over her mind, and her dreams lately, standing in her doorway.</p>
<p>Devi groans, "You again?! I thought I got rid of you after the last time..."</p>
<p>Ben raises an eyebrow, "The...last time?" he asks, voice laced with confusion.</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes, leaning against her headboard and crossing her legs, "So...why did you come back this time?"</p>
<p>He sighs, "Devi...I'm here because I need to talk to you."</p>
<p>Devi laughs, "Oh...so you talk now? If I remember correctly, the last two times you showed up in my room unannounced...you just wanted to get in my pants."</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, "Wait...what?" he yells out, slightly horrified.</p>
<p>Devi stands up from her bed, crossing her arms over her chest.</p>
<p>"This is taking longer than it normally does. Can we just skip to the part where you announce you're here to have sex with me and take off your shirt?" Devi asks boredly, popping her hip out.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets, "Devi...what the hell are you talking about?"</p>
<p>She sighs, slowly walking closer to him, "You're far less smooth than you normally are, dream Ben."</p>
<p>Ben's eyes dart around the room, trying to make sense of the current situation. He finds himself unable to.</p>
<p>What the hell was going on?</p>
<p>"I-uh...what?" He rambles out, "I'm just here to talk...I know it seems shady that I just showed up in your room but-"</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes, grabbing his shoulders and spinning them around, pushing him until his legs hit the edge of her bed...him stumbling down.</p>
<p>"Dream Ben...your purpose isn't to talk to me. You're here to give me what I can't get from the real Ben." She explains, climbing into his lap so that she's straddling him.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, "Devi...what are you-" he breathes out, voice shaking slightly. </p>
<p>Holy fucking hell...why was Devi in his lap? And why was he enjoying it just as much as he did in his dream. (Well...the answer to that was fairly obvious)</p>
<p>Devi shushes him, running her thumb along his bottom lip, "No more talking. Kiss me."</p>
<p>Ben's heart starts racing in his chest at Devi's words. He's suddenly aware of just how close in proximity he and Devi are right now. </p>
<p>He wants nothing more than to close the distance between them and kiss her...but he can't help but feel like this is wrong. Devi was clearly in an emotional state, and he didn't want to take advantage of that.</p>
<p>She leans forward to press her lips against Ben's, but he turns his head.</p>
<p>Devi frowns, "Oh...so you're the other version of dream Ben. The one that's repulsed by me..."</p>
<p>Ben shakes his head, "Devi...I'm not sure what is going on but...It's me...Ben. And I'm not repulsed by you." he says, voice full of sincerity.</p>
<p>Devi climbs off of his lap, backing away slowly.</p>
<p>"That's a lie and you know it. Just go away...get out of my head!" Devi yells, turning to walk away from him.</p>
<p>Ben frowns, "David, I-"</p>
<p>That nickname hits Devi like a ton of bricks, and she freezes in her spot. </p>
<p>This isn't the Ben from her dreams...that Ben didn't call her David. </p>
<p>"What did you call me?" Devi asks quietly, back still turned to him.</p>
<p>"David." Ben repeats softly, and Devi's eyes widen.</p>
<p>She slowly turns around to look at Ben, who's giving her a concerned look.</p>
<p>"Ben...you're really here?" She breathes out.</p>
<p>Ben nods slowly, "Yeah..."</p>
<p>"I'm...not dreaming?" Devi asks. </p>
<p>He shakes his head, "No...atleast I don't think so."</p>
<p>"Shit...I just literally jumped you..." Devi says, mortified.</p>
<p>Ben laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeah kind of...but its okay. If you showed up at my house out of nowhere...I'd think I was dreaming, too."</p>
<p>Devi laughs uncomfortably, "That's comforting. But I'm sure you wouldn't jump me if I did."</p>
<p>Ben shrugs, "Yeah, probably not. But it's alright...I know I'm kind of irresistible." he teases.</p>
<p>She rolls her eyes, eyes focusing on the ground. </p>
<p>Silence falls between them, and Devi finds herself spacing out...a million thoughts swirling through her mind. </p>
<p>Why was Ben, the real Ben, at her house? </p>
<p>Was he there to confess his feelings for her? </p>
<p>Yeah right...that only happened in her dreams. And even dream Ben ended up not being interested in her.</p>
<p>Devi breaks the silence, "Ben...why are you here?" she asks, avoiding his eyes.</p>
<p>Ben clears his throat, "Uh...like I said, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."</p>
<p>"So you decided that the best way to talk to me was to ambush me in my bedroom?" Devi says, raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, "No! I was not trying to ambush you. Okay...well maybe a bit. But only because there was no other way to get you to listen..." he rambles out.</p>
<p>Devi narrows her eyes, "No other way? How about at school instead of breaking into my house and barging into my bedroom!" she snaps.</p>
<p>Ben tilts his head, "Okay...I did not break into your house, your mom let me in. I also did not barge into your bedroom...I knocked first, and you told me to come in."</p>
<p>"That was before I knew it was you!" Devi argues.</p>
<p>Ben raises an eyebrow, "Oh...so that's what qualifies as barging in now?" he teases.</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes, "Ben...if you're just here to piss me off, mission accomplished. You could go now." Devi snaps, gesturing to the door.</p>
<p>"That's not why I'm here...and also, you started arguing with me first." He points out.</p>
<p>"Just get out, Ben." Devi huffs out, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away from him.</p>
<p>Ben sighs, "Devi, can you just please listen to-"</p>
<p>Devi cuts him off, "Ben! Just get out! Get out of my room, get out of my house, and get out of my head!" she yells, voice breaking.</p>
<p>Ben's eyes widen, his face falling. </p>
<p>"I just...can't do this, okay? Whatever this is...I can't." Devi cries out, gesturing between the two of them. She turns so her back is to him.</p>
<p>She wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes when she says this next part.</p>
<p>"I can't get you out of my head, Ben. No matter how hard I try...you're always there." Devi pauses, trying to gather the courage to keep talking, "And I can't take it knowing that...I have feelings for you, and you don't feel the same. It's driving me insane." she confesses in a weak voice.</p>
<p>"So please...just do us both a favor, and leave." She finishes off in a whisper. </p>
<p>Ben sits frozen in his spot on the edge of Devi's bed, stunned into silence.</p>
<p>Did Devi just say that she had feelings for him, too? </p>
<p>Ben slowly stands up from the bed, "I'm sorry, but I can't do that, Devi." he breathes out.</p>
<p>Devi clenches her jaw, her eyes welling up with tears.</p>
<p>"And why is that?" She asks weakly, trying her best not to get her hopes up.</p>
<p>She was hoping that Ben would've left before she ended up exploding, and confessing her feelings. She wasn't sure she could handle hearing his inevitable rejection.</p>
<p>Ben slowly walks closer to Devi, stopping directly behind her. </p>
<p>"Because I drove all the way here, to tell you that I like you, Devi." Ben confesses.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen.</p>
<p>"And I know that you want to hear me say that I'll leave...because I know you...you don't handle emotional situations well. And I don't either, honestly. But I'll still stand here, and risk getting punched in the adams apple, until you believe me." Ben professes, voice surprisingly steady.</p>
<p>He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had honestly been carrying around his repressed feelings for Devi for the longest time, and it felt so good to finally put it out there.</p>
<p>It was totally worth the wrath that he knew was about to be unleased on him.</p>
<p>Devi is silent, trying to process what she's just heard.</p>
<p>Ben was really here, in her bedroom, confessing his feelings for her...and it was real.</p>
<p>It was actually happening.</p>
<p>Devi slowly turns around to face Ben, "Say it again..." she breathes out, locking eyes with him.</p>
<p>"What?" Ben asks, raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Say it again...that you like me. So that I know this is real." She says.</p>
<p>Ben smiles softly, "I like you, Devi Vishwakumar. I really do."</p>
<p>Devi lets out a sigh of relief, "Thank God. That makes me feel slightly less gross for jumping you."</p>
<p>Ben smirks, "Feel free to jump me again...if you want."</p>
<p>Devi rolls her eyes, shoving his shoulder.</p>
<p>"Ow! What was that for!" Ben scoffs, rubbing his arm.</p>
<p>Devi walks closer to Ben...running a hand along his jawline, resting it against his cheek. Ben leans into the touch.</p>
<p>"That...was me saying that I like you too." She confesses, eyes glancing down at his lips and then back up to his eyes.</p>
<p>Ben smiles fondly, "So...can I kiss you?"</p>
<p>Devi laughs, "The Ben in my dreams didn't ask permission...he just did it. He was WAY more smooth than you." she teases.</p>
<p>Ben raises an eyebrow, "Oh really? Then maybe you should go kiss him again."</p>
<p>She smirks, "I'll pass. I'd much rather have the real thing." </p>
<p>Ben slowly leans forward to connect their lips together, but Devi pulls back, "Wait...what about Shira?"</p>
<p>"We broke up. Right after our conversation at school..." Ben explains.</p>
<p>Devi smiles, wrapping her arms around Ben's neck and pulling him down to connect their lips together. Ben smiles against Devi's lips, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him.</p>
<p>The kiss was better than either of them had expected.</p>
<p>Ben breaks the kiss, reaching down to grab underneath Devi's thighs, lifting her up into his arms. Devi wraps her legs around his waist. </p>
<p>She smiles, "Wow...that was pretty smooth, Gross. I'm impressed." she teases.</p>
<p>Ben smirks, leaning in to connect their lips again. He turns around, walking blindly until his knees hit Devi's bed, him gently putting her down on the bed and settling in between her legs.</p>
<p>Devi lets out a moan at the contact, pulling Ben closer and deepening the kiss. She rolls them over, straddling Ben's hips.</p>
<p>Ben sits up, pulling her closer with one hand on her back, the other resting against her cheek.</p>
<p>She pulls away from the kiss, tugging at the hem of Ben's shirt.</p>
<p>"Trying to get me naked, David?" Ben asks breathlessly.</p>
<p>Devi shrugs, "Maybe. Although I'm sure that dream Ben's abs are far more defined than yours."</p>
<p>Ben smirks, pulling his shirt over his head with ease. Devi's eyes widen, reaching her hand out to run it down his chest.</p>
<p>"Holy shit...I stand corrected." Devi breathes out, pulling Ben into another kiss. She pushes him down onto his back, laying down on top of him.</p>
<p>They continue to kiss until a knock on their door makes them jump apart.</p>
<p>Devi's eyes widen, her immediately searching for Ben's discarded shirt.</p>
<p>"Devi! I just wanted to see how your project with Benjamin is going!" Nalini's voice calls out from behind the door.</p>
<p>Devi shoots Ben a confused look, and he gestures for her to go along with it.</p>
<p>"Uh...it's going good, mom! We're really busy...if you don't mind coming back later." Devi calls out, keeping her voice level.</p>
<p>"Of course. Have fun, you two." She says, and Devi lets out a relieved breath when she hears her mother's footsteps disappear.</p>
<p>Ben laughs, and Devi hits him in the chest.</p>
<p>"Ow! What was that for!" He groans, rubbing at his chest.</p>
<p>"A project...really?!" Devi questions incredulously.</p>
<p>"I had to make up some believable excuse to your mom about why I showed up at your front door." Ben explains.</p>
<p>Devi laughs, "Okay...fair enough. The excuse seems to have worked...because if she was suspicious she would've totally just barged into this room."</p>
<p>"That would not have been good." Ben adds, and Devi nods, falling backwards to lay beside Ben.</p>
<p>"So...you dreamed about me?" Ben asks, smiling.</p>
<p>Devi sighs, "Yeah...twice. Both dreams were equally strange."</p>
<p>"Care to elaborate?" </p>
<p>"Well...the first dream was you showing up at my bedroom door, announcing you wanted to have sex with me and then you pulling off your shirt..." Devi explains, and Ben raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Huh...that's weird. I had a similar dream about you, actually." Ben admits.</p>
<p>Devi turns on to her side, looking at him, "Wait...really?"</p>
<p>Ben nods, "Yeah...it was really strange but I initially thought you were an intruder, so I grabbed a tennis racket to defend myself."</p>
<p>Devi snorts, "Out of all the possible things you could grab...you grabbed your rich white boy tennis racket?"</p>
<p>Ben rolls his eyes, "Yes, and you proceeded to make fun of me, just like you are now." he grumbles.</p>
<p>"It wouldn't be a realistic dream without me doing that, honestly." </p>
<p>Ben nods, "True. But anyway...what was your second dream?"</p>
<p>Devi frowns, sitting up and fidgeting with her fingers, "Um...things got more heated in that one. But then you said..." her voice drifts off.</p>
<p>Ben turns onto his side, "What did I say?"</p>
<p>"You laughed at me for thinking that you wanted to sleep with me...because I'm an unfuckable nerd that nobody is attracted to." Devi whispers, feeling a pit form in her stomach as she thinks back to that moment.</p>
<p>Ben feels like he's been punched in the gut. He's felt guilty about that nickname ever since the day he first said it, and all the days after that. </p>
<p>"Devi, I-" Ben starts, but Devi cuts him off.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Ben. I mean...it made sense, honestly. Like...look at me." Devi says, gesturing to herself.</p>
<p>Ben sighs, "I am. And you're beautiful."</p>
<p>Devi turns to look at him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>"Devi...there's no excuse I can give for why I ever said that. But I want you to know that I regret it, and that I don't think of you like that at all." Ben says.</p>
<p>"You don't?" Devi asks.</p>
<p>Ben shakes his head, reaching out to rest a hand on her leg, "God, no...Devi, I'm unbelievably attracted to you."</p>
<p>Devi smirks, climbing back on top of Ben. </p>
<p>"That's a relief to hear. I'm also insanely attracted to you, too..." Devi admits, "Although...dream Ben did it for me just a TAD bit more." she teases.</p>
<p>Ben glares at her, "Take that back." he threatens. </p>
<p>"Make me." Devi challenges him.</p>
<p>Ben flips them over so he's on top of her again.</p>
<p>"Oh...I'm going to make you regret saying that, David." Ben says, leaning down to capture her lips in another kiss.</p>
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